Former Ohio State CB Denzel Ward 'looking forward' to matchup against Buckeye teammate

Denzel Ward was a standout defensive back at Ohio State.

Everyone knew this — that’s why he was selected No. 4 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He was picked to be the team’s shutdown corner for the foreseeable future.

In Week 1, Ward was matched up with Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown. Some consider Brown to be the best in the NFL. That was quite the test for the rookie, as Brown racked up 9 catches for 93 yards and a TD.

To be fair, though, it seems like he does that every week.

In Week 2, Ward will be matched up against another extremely talented WR: Michael Thomas. What’s intriguing about this matchup is the two played together at Ohio State.

Ward and Thomas played for the Buckeyes in 2015. Ward was just a freshman, but he still appeared in 11 games.

Here’s what the 5-foot-10 CB had to say about the upcoming matchup against a former teammate:

“I went against receivers like him in college and I will in the league,” Ward said, “so the size doesn’t really make a difference to me. It doesn’t really matter who I go against, so I’m looking forward to that match-up.”

Ward is looking forward to it, but it keeping his words professional. He doesn’t care who he goes up against and he’s gone against guys like Thomas before. It is what it is.

We’ll see who wins the matchup on Sunday when the Browns and Saints are scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m.